Date of Conferral

11-6-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Dr. Delinda Mercer

Abstract

Underutilizing trauma-informed approaches in correctional rehabilitation has had detrimental consequences, particularly for gang-involved populations. Theories of personality, responsivity, and stress suggest that gang-affiliated individuals, shaped by coercive environments, may develop psychological reactions such as fear, guilt, and moral shame that contribute to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury (MI). This study examined whether gang role, psychopathy, and perpetration predicted PTSD and MI among 70 incarcerated adult males. Participants completed the Moral Injury Outcome Scale (MIOS), the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP). Two hierarchical regressions were conducted. In the PTSD model, only education level significantly predicted PTSD symptoms (B = 3.28, p = .04), with higher education associated with greater symptom severity. The full model explained 17% of the variance; gang role, perpetration, and psychopathy were not significant. The MI model accounted for 33% of the variance and was statistically significant. Gang leadership (B = –6.50, p = .05), perpetration (B = 12.01, p = .03), and intervention history (B = 5.74, p = .03) emerged as significant predictors. These findings suggest that moral injury in gang-involved incarcerated individuals is influenced more by social context, coercion, and role pressure than by dispositional traits such as psychopathy. Integrating trauma-focused assessments and interventions that address moral shame, guilt, and external coercion may strengthen rehabilitation outcomes, support successful community reentry, and reduce recidivism.

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